While writing the previous blog post, ‘вера, action, and victory', the Lord showed the role of an armor bearer and how this role refers to our role as believers and followers of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say about the life of an armor bearer? What is the meaning of the armor bearer? What are the characteristics of an armor bearer? What does an armor bearer do? What does it mean to be God’s armor bearer?
What is the role of an armor-bearer?
Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew after him(1 Самуэль 14:13)
The first characteristic of an armor bearer is that an armor bearer follows his lord and isobedient to his lord, в все things. The armor-bearer knows, that he is subordinate to his lord. He is not important, but his lord is important. It’s not about his will and what he wants, but it’s all about what his lord wants.
В 1 Самуэль 14, we read about the battle, between the people of Israel and the Philistines.
Jonathan stepped out of the army of 600 people and commanded his armor-bearer to come with him and fight against the Philistines.
Jonathan said: «come», and the armor-bearer immediately obeyed him.
The armor-bearer didn’t think about it, he didn’t argue and didn’t question him. He didn’t say to Jonathan: «Jonathan, are you sure? Is this the right thing to do? Why don’t we wait, until the others go, so we can all go together and attack the Philistines?»
Нет, the armor-bearer didn’t say that. The armor-bearer was willing and obeyed his lord and went with him. He trusted his lord completely.
Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer twice to come and both times his armor-bearer obeyed Jonathan and came. The second time, that Jonathan commanded his armor-bearer to come with him, the armor-bearer said to Jonathan: «Do all that is in your heart: turn thee; вот, I am with you according to your heart.»
The armor-bearer obeys and follows his lord
Whatever Jonathan decided to do, his armor-bearer obeyed him and followed him. Jonathan made his plans known to his armor-bearer, he made him part of his mission.
When Jonathan climbed up to the Philistines, his armor-bearer followed him and stayed in his shadow. Jonathan had authority, and as long as his armor-bearer would stay in his shadow, he shared this authority with him. But as soon as the armor-bearer would leave his shadow, he would be on his own and wouldn’t have any authority anymore.
The armor-bearer wouldn’t have any authority anymore, because he was the armor-bearer and not lord.
Then came the best moment of their cooperation: the moment that Jonathan and his armor-bearer attacked the Philistines and gained the victory. The Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer slew after him and killed the Philistines. During their attack, they each had their own task.
What are the characteristics of an armor-bearer?
In the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer, we see the following characteristics of the armor-bearer:
- his life was in service of his lord
- он obeyed his lord
- он trusted his lord
- он followed his lord
- он stayed in the shadow of his lord
- он fulfilled his task during their mission
What does it mean to be an armor bearer of Jesus Christ?
If you believe in Jesus Christ and have made Jesus your Saviour and Lord and are born again in Him and you have become a new creation; новый человек, then you are the armor bearer of Jesus Christ. Just like Jonathan and his armor bearer were joined together and worked together, so you are joined together with Jesus Christ and you work together with Him.
All hosts, in heaven and on earth, are put under Jesus’ feet. Jesus has all authority in the heavens and on earth!
Jesus fulfilled the plan of God on this earth. He died on the cross and took all sins, sicknesses, and iniquities of the world upon Him. By His blood, He restored fallen man and reconciled man back to God.
Jesus took the keys of authority back from the devil and gave you the opportunity to reign together with Him, in His authority in the heavenly places (Читайте также: Has Jesus bound the strong man, or do you have to bind the strong man?).
The armor bearer is a servant of his Lord
It all begins by giving up your own life. Jesus Himself says this in all the four gospels:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, пусть он откажется от себя, и возьми свой крест, и следуй за Мной. Ибо кто хочет сберечь свою жизнь, тот потеряет ее: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it (Мэтью 16:24-25)
And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, пусть он откажется от себя, и возьми свой крест, и следуй за Мной. Ибо кто хочет сберечь свою жизнь, тот потеряет ее; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, то же самое спасет его (Отметка 8:34-35)
Ибо кто хочет сберечь свою жизнь, тот потеряет ее: а кто потеряет душу свою ради Меня, то же самое спасет его (Люк 9:24)
Тот, кто любит свою жизнь, потеряет ее; и кто ненавидит жизнь свою в этом мире, тот сохранит ее в жизнь вечную. Если кто-нибудь будет служить Мне, пусть он следует за Мной; и где я, там будет и раб Мой: если кто-нибудь будет служить Мне, его почтит Отец Мой (Джон 12:25-26)
The armor bearer gives up his own life
You can’t serve withouт giving up your own life. Why not? Потому что иначе, you will not be able to follow Jesus. A follower follows someone, but when you want to follow your own will on this earth and do what pleases you, then you can’t follow someone else. There can’t be two lords in your life. There’s only one lord and one follower.
When you decide to follow Jesus Christ, it means that you have to give up your own will; your ‘себя‘’, and give your whole life to Him and yield to Him and become His servant (Читайте также: ‘Следование за Иисусом будет стоить вам всего').
The armor bearer obeys his Lord
When you give up your life and serve Jesus Christ, it means that you люби Его and therefore you shall obey Him and do His commandments. It doesn’t matter what you want to do, what you feel, or what you think, but it’s all about what Jesus wants and what Jesus thinks and what the Word says.
Just as Jesus did the воля Его Отца, so shall you do the will of Jesus. You shall obey Jesus and walk in His commandments (Читайте также: ‘Заповеди Божии и заповеди Иисуса Христа').
Если ты любишь Меня, соблюдай Мои заповеди (Джон 14:15)
Если вы соблюдете Мои заповеди, вы пребудете в Моей любви; как Я соблюдал заповеди Отца Моего, и пребудь в Его любви (Джон 15:10)
Если кто-нибудь будет служить Мне, пусть он следует за Мной; и где я, там будет и раб Мой: если кто-нибудь будет служить Мне, его почтит Отец Мой (Джон 12:26)
The armor bearer trusts his Lord
It all begins with having faith. You have to trust the Lord completely. When there is doubt in your heart, it is impossible to obey and follow Him and walk in faith. When you say, that you believe, it means that you fully trust Him and rely on Him. You can say that you believe, but your actions will show if you really believe in Him and in His words, или нет.
Доверьтесь Господу всем своим сердцем; and lean not unto your own understanding (Пословицы 3:5)
When you trust Him and don’t lean on your own understanding, then you shall be able to follow Him.
The armor bearer follows his Lord
Jesus commands you to follow Him. Поэтому, you should follow Him, instead of following your own will. You have His Word. He has given His words to you. Сейчас, it’s all about what you do with His words.
When you take up your cross (crucify your flesh daily, so that your will become subject to His will), and follow Him, then you shall become His armor-bearer.
And he said to them all, If any man will come after Me, пусть он откажется от себя, и нести свой крест каждый день, и следуй за Мной (Люк 9:23)
The armor bearer stays in his Lord’s shadow
Пока ты сидящий в Иисусе Христе, and as long as you stay in His shadow, you shall be able to walk in His authority and shall be protected.
But as soon as you leave His shadow and go your own way, you will have no authority over principalities, полномочия, правители тьмы этого мира, and spiritual wickedness in high places anymore.
There are two shadows in which a person can live: The shadow of the Most High or the shadow of dead.
The shadow of death
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up (Мэтью 4:15-16)
The shadow of the Most High
How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, о Боже! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings (Псалмы 36:7)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Псалмы 91:1)
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. И вы полноценны в Нем, который есть глава всякого начальства и власти (Колоссянам 2:9-10)
Пока ты остаешься в Иисусе Христе; слово, you shall walk in His shadow and shall walk in His authority. When you walk in His authority, you shall have dominion over all hosts (Читайте также: Иди во владениях, которые дал тебе Бог).
The armor bearer has a task to accomplish
Вот, Я даю тебе силу наступать на змей и скорпионов, и над всей силой врага: и ничто ни в коем случае не причинит тебе вреда (Люк 10:19)
Jesus accomplished His task on earth, He bound the strong one; дьявол. Jesus defeated the devil at the cross, and by His resurrection, He took the keys of authority back from him.
To everyone, who believes in Him and has given up his or her own life to serve Him and follow Him, He has given power(власть) over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt him or her.
Jesus is now seated on the right hand of God the Father. He has bound the strong one, дьявол. Сейчас, it’s our job to spoil the house and set people free.
No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house (Отметка 3:27)
Jonathan had a task to fulfill and his armor-bearer had a task to fulfill.
Jonathan didn’t take these two tasks upon himself, so that the armor-bearer didn’t have to do anything. No, the Philistines fell before Jonathan and his armor-bearer had to kill the Philistines.
Jesus has given you a task to accomplish
You also have your own task to accomplish. Jesus has given you the following task:
И пришёл Иисус и говорил им, говоря, Вся власть дана Мне на небе и на земле. Итак, идите, и научим все народы, крестя их во Имя Отца, и Сына, и Святого Духа: Научи их соблюдать все, что Я повелел тебе.: и, вот, Я с вами всегда, даже на край света. Аминь (Мэтью 28:18-20).
Кто будет веровать и креститься, спасётся; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; они будут говорить новыми языками; Они возьмут змей; и если они выпьют что-нибудь смертоносное, им это не повредит; они возложат руки на больных, and they shall recover (Отметка 16:16-18)
You can’t pray to God and expect Him to take over and do your part; your task. If that was the case, then what are we all doing here on earth? Because that would mean, that you don’t have to do anything anymore.
You cannot turn your task over to Him. You should fulfill the task that He has given you to do. Jesus has done His part, now you should do your part. Это значит action!
As long as you are a follower and servant of Jesus Christ and yield to Him, подчиняйся Ему, trust Him, Следуй за ним, and stay in Him, then you shall be able to fulfill your task and fulfill His mission on this earth.
«Будь солью земли»
